Theodora Colborn, Ph.D., whose career has focused on the effects of synthetic chemicals on human health, has been given the second annual Rachel Carson Award for Integrity in Science by the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The former World Wildlife Fund scientist was recognized for her courage in advocating sound science in the face of strong opposition from industry.

Colborn’s widely-acclaimed 1996 book, Our Stolen Future, spurred global concern about chemicals that affect hormonal balances. The attention she generated led to new laws and increased research by governments, the private sector, and academics around the world. She has published a number of scientific papers and testified before the Senate and the House of Representatives on the threats posed by endocrine disruptors on infertility, birth defects, autism, and cancer.

“In exactly the spirit of Rachel Carson, Dr. Colborn’s work alerted the public to the dramatic effects that even low-levels of man-made chemicals can have on our health,” said Michael F. Jacobson, executive director of the CSPI.

CSPI’s “Rachel Carson Award for Integrity in Science”—which comes with a $2,500 honorarium—is given to a scientist displaying Rachel Carson’s legacy of integrity, courage, dignity, and scientific excellence, despite strong opposition by industry interests. Last year, the University of Pittsburgh’s Dr. Herbert L. Needleman was honored with CSPI’s first annual award for his research on lead toxicity in children.